The Liberal Party of Ontario has unveiled a bold vision for healthcare that promises to address the pressing needs of Ontarians. At the heart of this plan is a commitment to ensure every resident has access to a family doctor within four years. This comprehensive strategy, dubbed “A Family Doctor For You,” aims to educate, attract, and retain thousands of new domestic and internationally trained family doctors, improve the Ontario Health Team network, modernise family medicine practices, and expand access to care close to home. The plan also includes provisions to make appointments available on evenings and weekends and to stop penalising patients and doctors for seeking care at walk-in clinics.
The Liberals’ healthcare vision extends beyond primary care. We’ve pledged to increase the number of family doctors and nurse practitioners across Ontario, make virtual visits a permanent option when appropriate, and fund more team-based primary care clinics.
We’re committed to addressing the mental health crisis by training 3,000 new mental health and addictions professionals, hiring 1,000 more dedicated to ensuring no child is waiting for help, and expanding publicly-covered mental health and addiction care.
This ambitious plan stands in stark contrast to the priorities demonstrated by Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government. While Ontarians struggle to access basic healthcare services, with at least 2.5 million people on waiting lists for a family doctor, the Ford government has been caught red-handed wasting taxpayer money on what critics have dubbed the “Boozedoggle.” This controversial decision to accelerate the expansion of alcohol sales to convenience and big box stores is set to cost Ontario taxpayers a staggering upto $1.9 billion.
The Financial Accountability Officer’s report reveals that this expansion will cost $1.4 billion through to 2030, with $612 million directly attributable to the sped-up timeline. This figure could potentially balloon to $1.9 billion, depending on consumer behaviour and alcohol consumption rates. It’s worth noting that this money could have been better spent on addressing the healthcare crisis gripping the province.
The Liberal Party argues that the $1.9 billion wasted on the Boozedoggle could have been used to hire 1,400 family doctors, providing care to 2 million people. This stark comparison highlights the misplaced priorities of the Ford government, choosing to prioritise alcohol accessibility over essential healthcare services.
But the Boozedoggle isn’t the only example of the Ford government’s questionable spending. Critics have also pointed to the controversial Highway 413 project, often referred to as “the highway no one wants,” as another instance of misallocated funds that could have been directed towards healthcare improvements.
The consequences of these misplaced priorities are dire. More than 2,000 people are being treated in hallways, break rooms, gyms, and even on floors. Last year alone, 11,000 people died waiting for care, and 13,000 Ontarians have lost their lives to the opioid crisis since Doug Ford took office. Meanwhile, 200,000 people in the province are homeless, taxes are up, and business confidence is down.
As Ontario heads towards an early election the Ford government’s record couldn’t be clearer. The Liberals are promising to focus on three key priorities: fixing healthcare, lowering taxes, and building affordable homes. We argue that this election isn’t about political games, but about addressing Ford’s failures and the lives at stake.
Ontarians now face a critical choice: support a vision that prioritises accessible healthcare for all, or continue down a path where public funds are diverted to projects that seem to benefit a select few while essential services suffer. As the province grapples with these issues, the upcoming election will undoubtedly be a referendum on the future of healthcare in Ontario.
